Jade Green Eyes Pet Finished

a picture of the sweet, shy boy

Reducio

It was a bright summer's day and the streets of Diagon Alley were bustling with shoppers and families, everyone out and about enjoying the clear, sunny weather during the holidays. Children came running out of Florean's as Tatiana passed, their ice cream cones already melting, the sugary drips running down their hands and leaving a trail of droplets on the ground behind them. It was mid July and the sun had been relentless the past few weeks. She'd spent most of her summer so far at school, staying in a cabin with a few friends during camp, and hardly spent a minute not in the lake. But today, she came on her own, some very particular shopping to get done.

She made her way down the streets and through the crowd, all the while a wide smile plastered across her face. She was full of anticipation as she considered the decision she'd be making that day. For once, she wasn't here just to shop for school supplies, but rather a companion. A cat, to be more exact. By volunteering around the school for a few summer errands, and after receiving some rather generous donations from a few of her friends, she had successfully managed to scrounge up enough galleons to buy herself a pet. She wasn't entirely sure which kind she wanted, as it wasn't particularly important the breed, but definitely a cat.

Growing up, she'd only ever had one pet- a small, orange tabby named Milo. He'd been the family cat for several years during her early childhood, and he was both a loving and severely independent soul. Her mother didn't believe in keeping pets inside, and Milo was free to come and go as he pleased. According to her parents, he was already wild on his own when they'd found him. They'd stumbled upon him one day while meandering along through the woods. He was immediately friendly and approached, rubbing against their legs and purring. He followed them back to their cottage all on his own, and made a point to hang around every day after that. Only one day, he didn't return. A few days had passed, and young Tatiana had made several trips back and forth along their frequently traveled foot paths through the trees. She never found him, but always imagined he was just a free spirit, never to be contained for too long. She pictured him living out his best wild cat life, climbing all the trees he wanted, and hunting rodents for sport. Her mother never brought another animal home after Milo disappeared, and it left a small hole in Tatiana's heart. She'd always longed for another pet, and it was finally time to have one of her own.

While many of the shops along the alley were busy, the Magical Menagerie was pleasantly quiet that day. As she pushed the door open to the little shop, she was immediately greeted with a sweet scent of cookies. There were cages all around, from the front window all the way to the back of the shop, with all sorts of different creatures. The owls were beautiful, and she'd almost considered one, but had ultimately decided that a feline would be the best fit for her. A small, white haired woman stood beside the counter and greeted her as she came in. "Hello deary, anything in particular you're looking for today?" She was a small lady, just about Tatiana's height, and she wore a summery floral dress that fell just passed her knees. Tatiana wasn't sure what she was really looking for, she'd honestly hoped she could just meet a few of the animals and maybe 'click' with one. It seemed a bit improbable, as she'd only be interacting with them for a short time, but she still felt she'd ultimately know when she found the right one.

"Uhm, I think I'm just going to look," she smiled back at her. "I didn't have any particular one in mind, but I was hoping to get a cat today."

"Of course, all of the cats are over there," she smiled warmly, motioning to the back wall. "Let me know if I can be of any more assistance." Tatiana thanked her and nodded, making her way passed the cages of rats and toads until she reached the cages she was looking for. Some were already excited about someone being in the store, and were anxiously pacing around their kennels and meowing loudly. How ever am I to choose? she thought, suddenly very aware of her own indecisiveness. Maybe, in another world, in another time, one where she had infinite money and a home of her own, she'd just take them all home. It made her feel guilty to think of just taking one when there were so many, and she was sure she'd be capable of loving each and every one in their own way. But alas, it was this world, and this time, and certain restraints- such as being a student and having limited money- would limit her to choosing just one.

The first cage she stopped at was an orange tabby, as he reminded her of Milo, but his eyes were green and her Milo's had been golden. And besides, he seemed rather uninterested in her presence and immediately went back to sleep as she approached him. Just across from him was a beautiful Siberian, it's long grey and white fur perfectly groomed and incredibly soft. It swished it tail around a bit as she pressed her hand against the bars of the cage, but quickly returned to grooming itself. Cats were selectively affectionate creatures, she knew that, but she'd hoped maybe one would show a little interest. And while some of the other breeds in the nearby cages were already displaying bounds of energy, rolling around and talking, her decision just felt harder and harder the longer she spent looking.

She had to have walked passed nine or ten more cages before she noticed him. In the back corner, looking particularly alone, was a timid looking spotted cat. He was curled up all the way to the back of his cage but his bright green eyes were staring straight at her, suspiciously following her every movement. As she got closer to his cage, the old woman piped up, having watched her as she interacted with the different cats. "That one's an Egyptian Mau. I'll get him out for you if you'd like to try and hold him, but he can be pretty shy and he doesn't say much." She stood up from the stool in which she'd been sitting and came to join Tatiana at his cage. As she opened the gate, he immediately tensed up and tried backing further into the crate. "It's okay sweetie," she calmed him, holding her hand near him and making clicking noises with her tongue. "This young lady just wants to meet you."

His eyes were wide with unease, but he didn't fight her as she lifted him by his belly and passed him to Tatiana. Cradling him in her arms, she could feel his muscles were tense, but he never tried to bite or scratch at her. In an effort to soothe him, she gently pet his back and scratched behind his ears. "You're a shy one, aren't you?" she said, smiling at him. He had a silky, smoky grey and charcoal coat dotted with variously sized black spots. The fur was lighter on his chest and darker around his face, giving a stark contrast to his bright jade colored eyes. She wasn't sure what is was, but when his face turned up to look at her, she found the feeling she had been looking for.

When she first spotted him, he had been in a cage, all alone in a corner, too anxious to be too near the other cats. He was nervous, and shy, but seemed at least a bit more relaxed in her arms. Something about all these things pulled at a special heart string inside of her and she felt like they were sort of one in the same. "All you need is a little love, huh?" she grinned, as she felt him lean into her ear scratches. As she looked back up, the shopkeeper was smiling back at her. "I think you found him," she winked. "I'm glad. He's been here a little while and he usually gets passed over for being so shy. We think he's about two." If she wasn't convinced already, that really sealed the deal for Tatiana. She knew she wouldn't be able to leave the store without him. "I think you're right," she beamed. "Would you mind ringing me up?"

The woman carried his empty crate to the counter for her, as Tatiana held him close in her arms. She set him on the counter while the woman rang her up, quickly grabbing a few extra things. A few bowls, a small bag of food, and several toys. She didn't know what he would like so she grabbed one of everything, determined to make sure he would feel comfortable with her. "Did you have a name picked out?" Tatiana thought about it for a moment, but the answer came to her quicker than she'd expected. He was an Egyptian Mau, and she'd recently read about one of their female cat goddesses, Bastet, in one of her mythological muggle history books. It seemed fitting, even if the diety had been a girl, as she wanted to make sure that the rest of his life would be one worthy of the gods. Satisfied with herself and smiling, she replied, "I'll name him Bas."

Word Count : 1614

What animal do you wish to purchase? Egyptian Mau
What do you want to name it? Bas
Is this a boy or a girl? Boy
What is your pet's date of birth? October 3rd, 2017